Overview:

This Esper deck helmed by Saruman of Many Colors combines mill strategies with spell theft and graveyard manipulation. The primary game plan focuses on milling opponents through cards like Ruin Crab, Bruvac the Grandiloquent, and Fraying Sanity, while leveraging Saruman’s ability to copy exiled instants/sorceries from opponents’ graveyards. The commander acts as both a value engine and a win condition accelerator, enabling incremental advantage through mill-triggered spell copying. Secondary themes include reanimation (Sheoldred, Whispering One, Extract from Darkness) and stax-lite elements (Ghostly Prison, Dauntless Dismantler).

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, signets), mill enablers (Ruin Crab, Thought Scour), and protection for Saruman (Diplomatic Immunity, Swiftfoot Boots). Use low-cost interaction (Swords to Plowshares, Consider) to disrupt opponents.
2. Midgame Value (Turns 5-7): Cast Saruman, prioritizing two spells per turn to trigger his mill/copy ability. Amplify mill with Bruvac the Grandiloquent or Fractured Sanity. Steal key spells from opponents’ graveyards using Saruman’s copy effect or Gríma, Saruman's Footman.
3. Win Conditions:
   • Mill Overload: Combine Fraying Sanity, Maddening Cacophony (kicked), and Bruvac to mill opponents out.
   • Spell Theft: Copy opponents’ high-impact spells (e.g., Breach the Multiverse) via Saruman or See Double.
   • Reanimation: Recur threats like Consuming Aberration or stolen creatures from graveyards.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands, at least one ramp artifact, and an early mill piece or interaction.
• Prioritize Saruman protection (boots, Mithril Coat) in removal-heavy metas.
• Avoid hands lacking mill engines or card draw.

Key Tips:

• Time Saruman’s casting to follow a cheap spell (e.g., Consider) to immediately trigger his mill/copy ability.
• Use Borne Upon a Wind to cast sorceries like Doomskar or Profane Tutor at instant speed.
• Stone of Erech disrupts opponents’ graveyard strategies while protecting your mill plan.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) cripples Saruman’s copy ability and reanimation subthemes.
• Low creature count makes the deck vulnerable to aggressive strategies; relies heavily on Ghostly Prison for defense.

Moderate

• Artifact reliance for mana makes Vandalblast effects punishing.
• Slow mill clock struggles against decks with library shuffle effects or Eldrazi titans.

Minor

• Limited instant-speed interaction for resolved permanents beyond Disenchant and Path to Exile.

Most Important Cards:

• Bruvac the Grandiloquent (Doubles mill output)
• Saruman of Many Colors (Core engine for mill and spell copying)
• Fraying Sanity (Scales mill exponentially)
• Maddening Cacophony (Kicked version halves libraries)
• See Double (Flexible clone/copy effect)
• Sheoldred, Whispering One (Recurrence and board control)
• Mystic Remora (Early card advantage)
• Duskmantle Guildmage (Life loss from mill)
• Profane Tutor (Tutoring with suspend flexibility)
• Consuming Aberration (Graveyard-dependent threat)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10

• Wins typically occur around turns 9-11 through incremental mill or copied opponents’ win cons. No fast combos.

Resilience: 4/10

• Light protection for Saruman and some recursion, but folds to graveyard hate or repeated board wipes.

Consistency: 6/10

• Multiple mill engines and card draw (Archmage Emeritus, Mystic Remora), but lacks tutors for key pieces like Bruvac.

Interaction: 7/10

• Strong counterspell suite (Counterspell, An Offer You Can’t Refuse) and targeted removal, but limited board wipes beyond Doomskar.

Rating Justification:

This deck operates as a Focused Casual build with a clear mill/theft strategy, capable of winning via combat or copied spells around turns 9-11. While it has strong interaction and synergy, its reliance on slow mill and vulnerability to graveyard hate caps its power.

Power level: 4.5 - 5.0